Power tariff hike in MP triggers protests; termed as anti-people, pro-corporate move

Senior Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: The power tariff hike of 9.6% executed by the Madhya Pradesh government has triggered protests with political parties calling the move as anti-common people and pro-corporate.

The local unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a demonstration at the Jinsi Square in Bhopal against the move. The party has said that the hike of 8% in domestic tariff, 8% in commercial tariff and 12% in agriculture power tariff is a move that would help the private power companies.

The party unit has said that the state government is deliberately not operating the government power plants that generate cheaper electricity.

The party has also again raked up the issue of alleged corruption of Rs 50,000 crore and Rs 42,000 in two private power projects in the state. AAP has threatened to intensify the agitation, if the hike is not rolled back.

The state secretary of Community Party of India (Marxist) Badal Saroj has issued a statement calling the heavy hike power tariff as anti-people that would become a way to fleece poor consumers.

He has said that the middle class would be impacted and the small and medium industrial units would be forced to closure under a move clearly taken under corporate pressure.

The party has demanded rollback of the ‘profit-seeking, pro-power companies move’.